Beautiful
by lucaya1211
Summary: When Riley and Lucas realize it's time to like other people, Maya's left comforting both. But when Maya and Lucas have a "moment" and are voted best couple in the yearbook, things get a bit more complicated. For both of them. When a capricious Maya and a confused Lucas start spending more time together, will they realize that getting to know each other isn't so bad? T for language.


**I. SHIP. LUCAYA. Omg, they are the cutest couple ever and they are OFFICIALLY my new favorite Disney pairing! Okay, haven't been on here in a while, but I'll give my best shot at a Lucaya fanfiction. Thanks for reading, and you are beautiful! :) Enjoy chapter 1!**

 **Oh yeah, am I supposed to say something like, 'Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story line'? Okay, well...there you go.**

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 **Maya's P.O.V.**

"And how his eyes just _lit up_ when the Knicks scored the winning basket against the Lakers! He just looked so...ugh, so perfect!" Riley gushes. "Maya, how can we go on just being _friends_? I like him and I _know_ he likes me. When we dated, my mom said that we were just pressured to be something that we're not ready for...but, if I'm being honest, Maya, I think we're ready. I, Riley Matthews, want to date Lucas Friar!" She exclaims as she jumps to her feet and spreads her arms out wide for emphasis.

I grab her shoulder and pull her down to sit next to me again. "Riley, I said this once and I will say it again. If you want something, you go get it. If you know he likes you then what are waiting for?" I ask.

Riley bites her lip, tilting her head to the side. "But what will people say? I mean, you know how everyone reacted to us dating the first time. Ooooh... Ahhhh..."

"Ha, yeah. It wouldn't have surprised me if they burst out singing, 'Riley and Lucas sittin' in a tree / K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." At Riley's incredulous facial expression I end my song. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I guess I'm just afraid that, if Lucas and I start dating, all the teasing and the constant flow of questions about what it's like and if we're only dating because we kissed...it might get to be too much for us. We might just break up again after, who knows? A week, a day, a class period? Because it'll be easier to just stay friends than deal with what people would say." She huffs. "Maya, help me! I don't know what to do."

"Let's say you and Ranger Rick, _do_ start dating again." I jump up from my spot next to Riley and plop onto the chair by her front door. "Ooooh, check out Riley and Lucas! They are totally an item." I then place my chin in my hand and say, "Soooo...what's it like being in a relationship? Is it for real this time? Are you only dating cause ya kissed? Tell. Me. Everything!"

Riley's mouth is agape. " _How_ could that have _possibly_ helped me right now, Maya?" She asks.

"Riles," I take my seat next to her again, "if you and Sundance have something, something _real_ , then your relationship will be so much stronger than what people might say or do. You need to march right up to his door and say, 'Lucas, go out with me.'"

She shakes her head and looks away. "I can't, Maya... What if he says no?" The worry and fear are evident in her eyes as she faces me once more. "He likes me, Maya, I know it. I-I 'm pretty sure, but does he like me enough to go through all the teasing again? And i-is it right to put him through that when we both know how he might..."react" if it gets too much?" She twiddles her thumbs as a frown graces her sad face.

"You think everybody teasing you guys is gonna trigger some of his anger issues?" I admit, the thought of what he might do to someone is chilling considering the fact that he got expelled from his old school in Texas because of his anger management.

Riley pauses then sighs. "Yes." She breathes shakily. "Maya...do you think that Lucas and I having feelings for each other but not being able to act on them is going to..." Her lip quivers and her eyes begin to water.

"Riley..." I whisper and gently touch her arm.

"...g-going to make us stop liking each other?" As the words escape her lips, the truth behind them hits her and she bursts into tears.

I pull her into my embrace, my shoulder soon soaked through with her teardrops. "Riley, it's okay... It's gonna be alright..." The sobs wracking her limp frame slow down, eventually coming to a stop. I gently rub her back in a comforting manner.

"Maya..." Her voices trembles and cracks. She pulls out of my arms. "Not being able to date Lucas means that this is as far as our relationship can go, just us having crushes on each other... _This_ is how me and Lucas are gonna stay. And I don't like this. I can't be just friends with him knowing that there is so much more between us."

I nod my head, staring at her with pity in my eyes.

"I know what I have to do, Maya. I have to...I can't even say it..." She hugs her knees into her chest and buries her head in them.

Carefully, tenderly, leaning my head on her one shoulder and resting my hand on the other, I say it for her, "You have to stop liking Lucas." Her body starts to shake again as a fresh batch of tears stream down her face. "I'm so, _so_ sorry, Riles." Time seems to stop and all that matters is that I'm there for her, through every tear she cries, through every box of tissues she uses, through every scenario she creates in her mind of how to tell Lucas. There, on her couch, we hold onto one another, and there we'd stay, through it all.

A good deal of time has passed when I hear, "Maya?"

"Yeah Riley?"

"I have to tell him." She concludes.

"You don't have to tell him right now-"

"No, I _have_ to tell him now." Riley pushes herself off of the couch and goes to grab her phone off of the kitchen table.

"Riley, you've barely accepted this yourself, how are you gonna-"

"Maya, I am about...30% ready to tell Lucas about this. That is as ready as I will ever be."

"Fine, if you're sure-"

"I'm sure." She snaps.

I stand and begin slowly walking towards her. "So are you texting him to come over?" I wonder, trying to get a peek of what she's so furiously typing.

"Nope."

Hearing her response, I raise my eyebrow.

Quickly, Riley glances at me and sees my confused look. She sighs and explains, "Maya, you saw how bad I took this news. If I have to tell him face-to-face I'll...I'll be just as bad." Shaking her head, she returns to rapidly tapping her phone screen.

I nod and stuff my hands in my pockets just as she finishes typing and I hear the 'Sent' sound come from her phone. "So what did you say?" I ask curiously.

Wordlessly, she sets the phone in my hands and opens up her refrigerator. "Tell me what he says. Unless it's bad... Never mind, just tell me."

"Will do." I respond, and I look down at the large paragraph typed on the phone screen in my hands.

 _Riley: Lucas, since the moment I met you, I knew I liked you. And when I found out that you liked me too, I was the happiest girl in the world. But...that's all we have, Lucas. We_ like _each other. We tried dating and that failed. Like, MISERABLY. And if we try again, I think you and I both know that the same thing is going to happen again. Idk if you feel this way, but it kills me that we can't do anything about how we feel. I really wish_ _that we could date but we can't. So look...it's not right for us to be tied down to one another when we both know this can't (not that I don't want it to, but it can't) go anywhere. Us having crushes on each other is as far as "Rucas" is gonna go (did you know that's what the class called us when we dated? :)). So, as of right now, Lucas Friar, you're free. You can like whoever you want to without having to worry about hurting my feelings by liking someone else (since, ya know, I like you and we're such good friends...). I'm gonna try and let what I feel for you go, too. Go be with someone who you can actually_ be _with_. _:) You are such a great guy, Lucas. Any girl would be lucky to have you. You will always have a special place in my heart (my first crush) and I hope we can still be friends. I'm sorry it has to be like this. And that I told you this over text message, but I just couldn't say it to your face. It would hurt too much. :(_

By now, my mouth is hanging open. "Riley... I don't know what to say. I can't believe you had to just send that message to Ranger Rick!" I shout, throwing her phone on the couch.

She looks at me, startled. "Maya, this is how it has to be-"

"No it's not! You should be able to date Ranger Rick without anyone teasing you about it! It's all because of those stupid kids in our class, always pestering you guys to be a couple." I'm fuming, my best friend just had to kind of break up with a guy that she wasn't really dating... But still! He was her first crush! Uh, KIND OF A BIG DEAL. A moment later I hear a harmonica. "What was...?" Then I realize it was Riley's phone, so I pick it up and see it's a message from Hopalong. "He replied."

"What's it say? No, don't tell me. Wait, go ahead. Never mind, don't. Okay, tell me. Wait-"

"I'm just gonna read it out loud." I exclaim, beginning to read:

 **Lucas: Is this a joke? Please tell me this is just a joke, Riley. :/ :/ :/**

"Um, just say, 'No.'" She commands.

 _Riley: No_

 **Lucas: But how can you just let everything we have go to waste because of some immature kids in our class? Riley, what we have is bigger than that.**

I see a teardrop escape from the corner of her eye, but she quickly wipes it away. "J-just say..." I type down what she tells me to.

 _Riley:_ _I'm sorry, Lucas. But remember when we dated? We were so awkward and stiff. :/ When we're just hanging out as friends though, it's so easy. I can talk to you about anything. Sometimes the best relationship is a friendship._

A few minutes pass by without any response.

"Did he text back?" She asks worriedly.

I frown. "Not yet." Her phone goes off then.

 **Lucas: I'm gonna miss this, Riley. I'm gonna miss us. :(**

She closes her eyes, silent tears falling on her cheeks, no attempt to even stop them this time. "I'm gonna miss us too, Lucas." She whispers.

I stare at her tear-stained face. I see the mask of happiness she's always worn slowly chip...flake...piece after piece, I watch fall off, until all that's left is what's underneath: regret. Yet still, I type.

 _Riley: I'm gonna miss us too, Lucas._

I wait.

He doesn't text back.

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 **Okay, so I know that seemed like it was all about Rucas, but I had to figure out a way to have Riley stop liking Lucas (because this is a Lucaya story and we all know Riley and Maya would never fight over a boy...). Don't worry, Lucaya will happen. ;) So did you like it? I hope so! Reviews are much appreciated, nothing negative please. I'd love to hear some feedback. :) Tootles!**


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